New Percussion Group Of Amsterdam, The - Go Between

Year of Release: 2007
Label: Summerfold Records
Catalog Number: BBSF018CD
Format: CD
Total Time: 48:49:00

Niels Le Large, one-half of the founding team (along with Jan Pustjens) of the New Percussion Group of Amsterdam, really nails it in his liner notes for Summerfold Records' twentieth anniversary re-release (a live performance recorded in 1986 and first released in 1987 on EG Records) of Go Between: "There is still a hollow tree trunk inside every one of us." As a dreamer and "air drummer" of some longevity, I know this to be true every time I get caught up in a hypnotic beat or rhythm and give in to the urge to "play along" or - gods forbid - dance. Inevitably, Go Between, an austere yet entertaining album, set loose my inner log drummer for some serious air jamming and attentive listening.

And "attentive" is the right word because Go Between requires more than a casual listen. Because of its specialized nature - four lengthy works performed entirely on percussion instruments - Go Between will have little immediate appeal for listeners other than percussionists and those whose tastes tend towards tribal music. Given several good listens, however, the true melodic nature of the music reveals itself and the songs' connections to art rock and classical music reveal themselves in surprisingly engaging fashion, making Go Between a worthwhile challenge for the adventurous listener.

The performance is presented as a sort of "sandwich" with the first and last pieces featuring a conventional drum kit, while "Redbone" and "Marimba Special" are performed without one. The title track opens the set and features none other than Bill Bruford behind the kit. "Go Between" consists of multiple movements (just like any good symphonic rock epic should) that feature Bruford in accompanying, exploratory, and confrontational roles. "Redbone," the shortest piece, is a furious bit of tribal primitivism that showcases insistent log drums, accented with peacock gongs. "Marimba Special" is just that, written specifically for the performance by Minoru Miki to showcase the breathtaking skills of marimba specialist, Keiko Abe. "Maenaden" brings back the drum kit to accompany the melodious, keyboard-sounding trio of marimbas and close the show with a danceable, quasi-disco beat.

Happily, although Go Between is over twenty years old, the original digital recording was very well done, providing a solid basis for a fine re-mastering and production, courtesy of Terry Adams and Bill Bruford. So, given its fine overall sound and the superb performances of the NPGOA and their auspicious guests, Go Between is an excellent and entertaining listening experience well worth checking out.

Tracklisting:
Go Between (14:26) / Redbone (6:39) / Marimba Spiritual (14:03) / Maenaden (13:41)

Musicians:
Rudd Wiener, Peter Prommel, Herman Rieken, Steeg Oosterhout, Johan Faber, Toon Omen - all percussion including marimba, bass marimba, xylophones, vibraphones, log drums, o-daiko, and shimi-daiko
Jan Pustjens - conductor (3)

Guest musicians:

Bill Bruford - acoustic drums and percussion (1)
Keiko Abe - marimba (3)

Discography:
Go Between (1987/2007)

Genre: Other

Origin NL

Added: March 24th 2008
Reviewer: David Cisco
Score:
Artist website: www.billbruford.com
Hits: 3578
Language: english